August 2023

GOSHEN, NY—Orange County officials broke ground on Aug. 3 on a new Medical Examiner’s Office being built adjacent to the county’s Emergency Services Center on Wells Farm Road here.

Power saws, shears, presses and other machines typically used in construction require one or more methods of machine guarding to protect operators from the hazards created by using these machines, and companies cannot merely delegate such duty to its own employees.

ALBANY—New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced earlier this month that a major project recently completed by the New York State Department of Transportation—The Kew Gardens Interchange—was named a winner of the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials region in the “Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Large Project” category.

WASHINGTON—More than 222,000 U.S. bridges need major repair work or should be replaced, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) analysis of the recently released U.S. Department of Transportation 2023 National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database released on Aug. 16. That figure represents 36% of all U.S. structures.

By their very nature, family businesses in the construction industry can thrive on the strength of relationships that run deeper than those between unrelated co-workers. Accordingly, family-run construction businesses present challenges specific to their structure and ownership. Only 30% of family-owned businesses survive into the second generation, and a mere 12% carry into the third, according to the Family Business Alliance. This indicates that many of these businesses may not have the proper guidance to assist with generational planning.

NEW YORK—If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again…and again. New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Aug. 8 that the redevelopment of the long vacant Kingsbridge Armory in the South Bronx will move forward with the release of Request for Proposals by the New York City Economic Development Corp. next month.

ALBANY—New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Aug. 16 she had signed legislation (S.4887/A.5608) into law, enacting the “Roadway Quality Assurance Act,” strengthening New York’s construction workforce by ensuring they are paid the prevailing wage. This requirement uplifts workers and local communities across New York State and contributes to reliable utility service for ratepayers, state officials said.

A roundup of what’s new and who’s in the news both locally and in the state.

Low bid news from around the state.